Alumni News - 2016

LINDA BACHMAN (Ed.D. 2013) was recently asked to speak to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education about UGA’s experiential learning initiative, which goes into effect with this year’s entering freshman class. As UGA director of experiential learning, Bachman started working on the initiative in 2014. After it was approved for implementation, she worked with UGA schools and colleges to draft plans for how each would define the activities that fulfill the new requirement. An article about the initiative and Bachman’s efforts appeared in the December 2015 issue of UGA’s alumni magazine, available online at http:// www.ugamagazine.uga.edu/. The article also quotes IHE associate professor Tim Cain on the potential benefits—to the students and to the university—of the initiative.

CHARLES MATHIES (Ph.D. 2010) co-led a series of workshops at the University of Rijeka with Karen Webber in February 2016. The workshops focused on strategies and development of skills in institutional effectiveness for Croatian higher education officials. In addition to presenting several sessions with Webber, Mathies led a well-received discussion on global rankings. He is currently senior expert in the Division for Strategic Planning and Development at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland.

LEASA WEIMER (Ph.D. 2013) is currently the knowledge development adviser for the European Association in International Education, located in Amsterdam. In this role, she oversees the strategic development of research and knowledge for the association. She also serves on the Fulbright Finland alumni board and the Erasmus+ Students and Alumni Association board and is the past president (2013-15) for the Erasmus Mundus Student and Alumni Association.

WESLEY K. WICKER (Ed.D. 1990) is a fund raising consultant with Sinclair, Townes & Company of Sandy Springs, GA, a full service firm that serves a non-profit clientele from coast-to-coast. Wicker and the firm offer strategic planning, board development and coaching, executive search, GAP analysis, feasibility studies, and capital campaign consulting. Wicker has been with the firm since 2011.

DANIEL PUGH (Ph.D. 2000) has completed his first year as vice president for student affairs at Texas A&M University, which has one of the largest student bodies in the nation. Pugh previously served as the senior student affairs officer at the University of Arkansas.

REBECCA OWENS (Ed.D. 1992) is teaching higher education graduate courses at LSU and also serves as the coordinator for the online master’s of education with an emphasis in higher education administration. She designed and teaches courses in the curriculum and is responsible for program assessment. She also teaches traditional format courses.

D. R. “BOB” MCGINNIS (Ed.D. 1980) recently retired from Auburn University as vice president for development after leading a successful $610 million capital campaign. He also served as senior counsel to the president. Upon retirement, he was designated vice president, emeritus.

TOM BOWEN (Ed.D. 1990) retired in June after a 45-year career in higher education—33 years (1971-2004) in UGA academic and financial administration and some teaching, six years (2004-2010) as vice president for administration and finance at Piedmont College, and 22 years (1994-2016) as a founding partner in Comprehensive Facilities Planning, Inc., a higher education space planning consulting firm. Tom writes: “I could not have imagined for myself such a long, varied, interesting and rewarding career and I could never have succeeded without the advice, guidance and support throughout my career from current and former IHE faculty and staff.  I will always carry deep in my heart fond memories of friendships with IHE icons such as Cameron Fincher, Tom Dyer, Larry Jones and many, many more.”